Free pumpkins at Eastgate from 25 October, Barleylands Spooky Nights, a Wat Tyler ghost tour, then Basildon's fireworks on 6 November and Billericay's on 7th.

Halloween is a Saturday this year, the last day of half term, and the week before it is the busiest of the autumn in the Basildon borough: free pumpkins at Eastgate from Sunday 25 October, Barleylands’ Halloween Festival and Spooky Nights, and a ghost tour at Wat Tyler Country Park. A week later come the fireworks, Basildon on Friday 6 November and Billericay on Saturday 7 November.

Everything below comes from the organisers’ own listings, read on 3 October 2026, and every entry links back to its source so you can check before you set off. Prices are the organiser’s published starting price. All the Halloween events are gathered on our Halloween in Basildon page, and places that are open whatever the month are in things to do in Basildon.

This week

Today, Sunday 4 October.

  • The Wedding Fayre at Barleylands, Sunday 4 October, Barleylands, Billericay CM11 2UD. Wedding suppliers and cake tasters, hosted by two of the Craft Village’s residents, Ivy Blu and LilyMaeRose Dressmakers. Barleylands has not published opening times, and asks couples to pre-register. (Barleylands)
  • All Star Superslam Wrestling, Sunday 4 October, 3pm, Towngate Theatre, Basildon SS14 1DL, from £12.50. All Star Promotions’ touring wrestling show. (Towngate Theatre)

Next week

Monday 5 to Sunday 11 October.

  • Monday Movies: Mamma Mia!, Monday 5 October, 11am, Towngate Theatre, Basildon SS14 1DL, from £5. The theatre’s monthly film morning, which welcomes people living with dementia and their companions. (Towngate Theatre)
  • Inspire: Live Music and Family Craft Day, Saturday 10 October, 11am to 3pm, St Andrew’s Church, Wickford SS12 0AN, free. Free arts and crafts for all ages with live music through the day. Booking on Eventbrite is recommended. (Basildon Council)
  • Autumn wreath making workshop, Saturday 10 October, 10am to 12pm or 1pm to 3pm, Langdon Nature Discovery Park, Basildon SS16 6EJ, £48. Make a wreath from British grown foliage and dried flowers. Booking is essential. (Essex Wildlife Trust)
  • Fungi talk and walk, Sunday 11 October, 10.30am to 2pm, Langdon Nature Discovery Park, Basildon SS16 6EJ, £25. The field mycologist Sarah Manning teaches the basics of identifying fungi, then leads a walk round the reserve. (Essex Wildlife Trust)

Later in October

Essex schools break for half term from Monday 26 to Friday 30 October, and some Billericay and Basildon academies are off from the 19th. Dates by school are on our October half term page.

  • The Addams Family, Basildon Operatic Society, Wednesday 14 to Saturday 17 October, 7.30pm, with Saturday shows at 1pm and 5.30pm, Towngate Theatre, Basildon SS14 1DL, from £26. The town’s amateur operatic society stages the musical for five performances. There is no Saturday evening show. (Towngate Theatre)
  • Towngate LIVE! Jazz Cafe, Thursday 15 October, 1pm to 3pm, Towngate Theatre, Basildon SS14 1DL, free. Free live jazz in the Cafe Bar on the third Thursday of the month. The next is Thursday 19 November. (Towngate Theatre)
  • The Illegal Eagles, Thursday 15 and Friday 16 October, 7.30pm, Towngate Theatre, Basildon SS14 1DL, from £39. The Eagles tribute band’s Hotel California tour. (Towngate Theatre)
  • John Lydon: I Could Be Wrong, I Could Be Right, Wednesday 21 October, 7.30pm, Towngate Theatre, Basildon SS14 1DL, from £37.50. The former Sex Pistols singer’s spoken word tour. Recommended for ages 16 and over. (Towngate Theatre)
  • Black History Month Celebration, Saturday 24 October, 1pm to 4pm, The Unity Centre, Basildon SS14 1AF, free. Networking, group coaching, wellbeing activities and an art exhibition, run by Family Passel and The Porter Touch Positive Impact. Free, with places reserved on Eventbrite. (Basildon Council)
  • Halloween Cake Bake, Saturday 24 October, 10am to 2pm, The Green Centre, Wat Tyler Country Park, Pitsea SS16 4UH. Basildon Borough Twinning Association sells homemade cakes for Lenox Children’s Cancer Charity. (Basildon Council)
  • Barleylands Halloween Festival, Saturday 24 October to Sunday 1 November, 10am to 4pm, Barleylands, Billericay CM11 2UD. The farm park’s daytime festival: a pumpkin for every child to decorate, a child-friendly maze and magic shows, all in the day ticket. (Barleylands)
  • Drive-in film: Monster House, Saturday 24 October, gates 5.30pm, film 6.15pm, Barleylands Craft Village, Billericay CM11 2UD. A PG family Halloween film; Moonbeamers suggests ages 8 and up. Weapons, an 18, follows at 8.45pm. (Moonbeamers)
  • Halloween in Concert, Saturday 24 October, 7.30pm, Towngate Theatre, Basildon SS14 1DL, from £30. A live band and cast doing spooky hits from Monster Mash to Thriller. (Towngate Theatre)
  • Eastgate free Halloween pumpkin picking, Sunday 25 to Saturday 31 October, 11am to 4pm, Eastgate Shopping Centre, Basildon SS14 1AG, free. A free pumpkin for every child, carving and crafts, and a trail with a prize draw. No booking. (Eastgate)
  • Dinosaur Adventure Live, Sunday 25 October, 11am and 1.30pm, Towngate Theatre, Basildon SS14 1DL, from £17.50. A one-hour interactive dinosaur show for families. (Towngate Theatre)
  • Foraging in autumn walk, Sunday 25 October, 10.30am to 12.30pm, Langdon Nature Discovery Park, Basildon SS16 6EJ, £10. Ranger James leads a walk on what can be foraged in autumn. It involves uphill walking. (Essex Wildlife Trust)
  • John Barrowman: My Life in Musicals, Sunday 25 October, 7.30pm, Towngate Theatre, Basildon SS14 1DL, from £37. The theatre warns of strong language and adult humour. (Towngate Theatre)
  • Langdon Spooktacular, Monday 26 October, 10am to 12.30pm or 1.30pm to 4pm, Langdon Nature Discovery Park, Basildon SS16 6EJ, £10.88 a child including the booking fee. Wand whittling, potion making and bug hunting for children aged 3 and over, with a campfire if the weather allows. Advance booking is essential. (Essex Wildlife Trust)
  • The Great Basildon Storybook, Monday 26 to Saturday 31 October, six sessions, Basildon borough libraries, free. Free family storytelling with The Drama Geezers, which will be published as a book: Vange and Basildon on the 26th, Wickford on the 28th, Fryerns on the 30th, Billericay and Laindon on the 31st. Book through the library. (Basildon Council)
  • Wat Tyler Historical Ghost Tour, Wednesday 28 October, 6pm to 8pm, Wat Tyler Country Park, Pitsea SS16 4UH, £17. A guided walk round the park after dark of about an hour, with a hot drink. For ages 10 and above, booked by phone on 01268 205267. (Basildon Council)
  • Nature Tots Halloween Special, Wednesday 28 October, 10am to 12pm, Langdon Nature Discovery Park, Basildon SS16 6EJ, £8.80 a child. The outdoor playgroup’s Halloween session, for ages 18 months to 5. (Essex Wildlife Trust)
  • Barleylands Spooky Nights, Thursday 29 to Saturday 31 October, from 5.30pm, Barleylands, Billericay CM11 2UD. The evening event: fairground rides, trick-or-treating round the Village shops, a disco and a maze. Tickets are advance only, with no walk-ins. (Barleylands)
  • We Will Rock You, Young @ Part, Thursday 29 to Saturday 31 October, 7.30pm, with a 3pm Saturday matinee, Towngate Theatre, Basildon SS14 1DL, from £17.50. A youth theatre production of the Queen musical by Rare Productions. (Towngate Theatre)
  • Wat Tyler Halloween Market, Saturday 31 October, 10am to 4pm, Wat Tyler Country Park, Pitsea SS16 4UH, free. Stalls in the Nobel Room selling gifts, sweets, toys, candles and homemade crafts. (Basildon Council)
  • The Spooktacular Variety Show, Saturday 31 October, 2pm, Towngate Theatre, Basildon SS14 1DL, from £12.50. A UV puppet show of comedy and magic. The 11am performance has been cancelled; the 2pm goes ahead. (Towngate Theatre)

The Towngate also has a run of tribute and music nights through October, from Bon Jovi and Bob Marley tributes to the Illegal Eagles; the full list is on the theatre’s what’s on page.

November

To Sunday 15 November.

  • Barleylands Family Fireworks, Thursday 5 to Sunday 8 November, from 4.30pm, fireworks at 6.30pm, Barleylands, Billericay CM11 2UD. Four nights of low-bang fireworks for younger children, with entertainment until 8pm. A ticket is required and no walk-ins are accepted. (Barleylands)
  • Basildon Round Table Charity Fireworks Spectacular, Friday 6 November, gates 5pm, fireworks 8pm, Basildon Sporting Village, SS14 3GR, £9. Basildon’s own display, with a funfair, catering and a DJ. Advance tickets only, none on the day, and all gates close at 7.30pm. Ages two and under go free on a free ticket. (Basildon Round Table)
  • Towngate LIVE!, Friday 6 November, 7pm, Towngate Theatre, Basildon SS14 1DL, from £5. The monthly night of original live music in the Gielgud Room. The theatre’s page lists the line-up for Friday 6 November but its booking calendar shows Thursday 5 November, so check before you book. (Towngate Theatre)
  • Billericay Fireworks, Saturday 7 November, gates 5pm, fireworks 7.30pm, Lake Meadows, Billericay CM12 0DT, adults from £9, under 13s from £7, under threes free. The 55th Billericay Round Table display, with a torchlight procession at 6.15pm and the bonfire lit at 6.30pm. Radford Way and Radford Crescent close from 6.30pm to 9pm. (Billericay Round Table)
  • A Christmas Carol, Tuesday 10 November, 7.30pm, and Wednesday 11 November, 1.30pm and 7.30pm, Towngate Theatre, Basildon SS14 1DL, from £16. A stage version of Charles Dickens’ festive story. (Towngate Theatre)
  • Step Into Christmas, Friday 13 November, 7.30pm, Towngate Theatre, Basildon SS14 1DL, from £30. A two-hour concert of Christmas classics with a live band, recommended for ages 3 and up. (Towngate Theatre)

Both Round Table displays sell tickets online only. Basildon’s page says no tickets will be available on the day. Billericay’s says tickets are limited and sold through its website up to 7.30pm on the night, and that bags will be searched at the gate. Our Basildon fireworks page has the parking and travel detail.

Remembrance Sunday is 8 November, and the council has not yet published this year’s service times: see Remembrance Sunday in Basildon. Further ahead, Light Up Wickford is Thursday 19 November, Langdon’s Christmas market is Sunday 22 November and the Towngate pantomime, Aladdin, opens on Thursday 26 November: see our pages for the Christmas lights, Christmas markets, pantomime and Santa’s grottos.

Regular events

  • Basildon parkrun, Every Saturday, 9am, Northlands Park, Basildon SS13 1SD, free. A free weekly timed 5k to walk, jog or run. (parkrun)
  • Billericay parkrun, Every Saturday, 9am, Lake Meadows Park, Billericay CM12 0BW, free. The same free 5k, round Lake Meadows Park. (parkrun)
  • Wickford Memorial parkrun, Every Saturday, 9am, Wickford Memorial Park, SS11 8JE, free. The free 5k in Wickford Memorial Park. (parkrun)
  • Laindon Memory Cafe, Every other Wednesday, 10.30am to 12.30pm, next on 14 October, King Edward Community Centre, Laindon SS15 6GY, free. A free session for people living with dementia, their carers and families, run by Kinder Essex. (Basildon Council)
  • Memory Cafe at Chalvedon Centre, Fortnightly on Thursdays, 10.30am to 12pm: 15 and 29 October, then 12 and 26 November, Chalvedon Community Centre, Basildon SS13 3QX, free. Free, with entertainment, hot drinks and sweet treats, also run by Kinder Essex. (Basildon Council)
  • Veterans Breakfast Morning, Third Tuesday of the month, 9.30am to 1pm, next on 20 October, Towngate Theatre, Basildon SS14 1DL, free. A free breakfast for veterans in the theatre’s Upper Foyer, hosted by the council on behalf of the Mayor of Basildon. (Basildon Council)
  • Nature Tots at Langdon, Wednesdays in term time, 10am to 12pm, next on 7 October, Langdon Nature Discovery Park, Basildon SS16 6EJ, £9.50 a child. An outdoor playgroup for children aged 18 months to five, £9.50 a child for a week’s ticket. The Halloween special is listed above. (Essex Wildlife Trust)

Basildon, Pitsea and Wickford each have a street market on fixed days of the week; the days and hours are on the council’s markets page.

Getting there

The Towngate Theatre and Basildon Market are both in St Martin’s Square, a short walk from the bus station and Basildon railway station. Council car parks in Billericay and Wickford are free at weekends, and the town centre car parks in Basildon are privately run: see parking in Basildon. Check the roadworks and travel page before an evening trip.

This page is rewritten as organisers confirm new dates. Dates can still change, so use the links before you travel. More in our What’s On section.

Send us your event

Running an event in Basildon, Billericay, Wickford, Laindon or Pitsea? Email hello@basildontoday.co.uk with the date, time, venue, price and a photo. Listings are free of charge, and yours goes on this page and in the diary on our What’s On section.

Sources